India produces around 42 million tons of municipal solid waste annually, but waste management is inadequate with most cities relying on crude dumping rather than proper collection, segregation, processing, and disposal. Proper management is lacking due to issues like lack of funds, expertise, community participation, and segregation of waste at source. The document recommends solutions like outsourcing waste management, public-private partnerships, increasing segregation and processing of waste, and using funds allocated by the 12th Finance Commission.

1. SOLID WASTE
MANAGEMENT
IN INDIA

2. India’s Population = 1027 Million
As per 2001 Census
Urban Population = 285 Million
Urban Areas = 5161
(Cities / Towns)

3. TREND OF URBANIZATION
Year Year Year Year
1951 1991 2001 2021
1. Number of Urban 2795 3768 5161 --
Agglomerations / Towns
2. Urban Population 62.0 217.0 285.0 550.0
(in million)
3. As percentage of total 17.3% 25.72% 27.8% 41%
Population

4. MAGNITUDE OF PROBLEM
- Per capita waste generation increasing by
1.3% per annum
- With urban population increasing between
3 – 3.5% per annum
- Yearly increase in waste generation is
around 5% annually

5. - India produces 42.0 million tons of
municipal solid waste annually at present.
- Per capita generation of waste varies from
200 gm to 600 gm per capita / day. Average
generation rate at 0.4 kg per capita per day
in 0.1 million plus towns.
- Collection efficiency ranges between 50% to
90% of the solid waste generated.

6. - Urban Local Bodies spend around Rs.500/-
to Rs.1500/- per ton on solid waste
management of which,
* 60-70% of the amount is on
collection alone
* 20% - 30% on transportation
* Hardly any fund is spent on
treatment and disposal of waste
- Crude dumping of waste in most of the
cities

7. QUANTITY OF WASTE GENERATION
TOTAL QUANTITY OF SOLID WASTE 1.15 LAKH TONNE
GENERATED IN URBAN AREAS PER DAY (TPD)
OF THE COUNTRY
% OF TOTAL
GARBAGE
WASTE GENERATED IN 6 MEGA CITIES 21,100 TPD 18.35%
WASTE GENERATED IN METRO CITIES 19,643 TPD 17.08%
(1 MILLION PLUS TOWNS)
WASTE GENERATED IN OTHER 42,635.28 TPD 37.07%
CLASS-I TOWNS
(0.1 MILLION PLUS TOWNS) ____________ _________
83,378.28 TPD 72.50%
IF WASTE PRODUCED IN ALL CLASS-I CITIES IS TACKLED, PERCENTAGE
OF WASTE SCIENTIFICALLY MANAGED WOULD BE 72.5% OF TOTAL
WASTE.

8. Characteristics of Municipal Solid Waste
Compostable / Bio-degradable = 30% - 55%
matter (can be converted
into manure)
Inert material = 40% - 45% (to
go to landfill)
Recyclable materials = 5% - 10%
(Recycling)
These percentages vary from city to city depending
on food habits

9. PRESENT STATUS OF WASTE MANAGEMENT
- STORAGE OF WASTE AT SOURCE IS LACKING
- DOMESTIC WASTE THROWN ON STREETS
- TRADE WASTE ON ROADS / STREETS
- CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS LEFT UNATTENDED
- BIO-MEDICAL WASTE DISPOSED IN MUNICIPAL
WASTE STREAM
- INDUSTRIAL WASTE DISPOSED OF IN OPEN
AREAS
- SEGREGATION OF RECYCLABLE WASTE AT SOURCE
NOT DONE
- PRIMARY COLLECTION OF WASTE NOT DONE AT
PLACE OF GENERATION

10. Contd../..
- DESIGN & LOCATION OF MUNICIPAL WASTE STORAGE
DEPOTS INAPPROPRIATE, RESULTING IN LITTERING OF
GARBAGE .
- STREET SWEEPING NOT DONE EVERYDAY
- WASTE TRANSPORTATION DONE IN OPEN VEHICLES
- WASTE PROCESSING PARTIALLY PRACTISED IN 35
ULBs ONLY
- FINAL DISPOSAL DONE THROUGH CRUDE DUMPING
- RAG PICKERS COLLECT RECYCLABLES FROM
MUNICIPAL BINS / DUMPSITES AND LITTER THE WASTE
CAUSING INSANITARY CONDITIONS

11. REASONS FOR IMPROPER MANAGEMENT OF WASTE
 Lack of planning for waste management while planning
townships
 Lack of proper institutional set up for waste
management, planning and designing in urban local bodies
 Lack of technically trained manpower
 Lack of community involvement
 Lack of expertise and exposure to city waste management
using modern techniques / best practices
 Lack of awareness creation mechanism
 Lack of Management Information Systems
 Lack of funds with ULBs
 Indifferent attitude of ULBs to levy user charges and
sustainability

12. RECOMMENDED APPROACHES TO WASTE
MANAGEMENT
1. Possible Waste Management Options :
(a) Waste Minimisation
(b) Material Recycling
(c) Waste Processing (Resource Recovery)
(d) Waste Transformation
(e) Sanitary Landfilling – Limited land availability is a
constraint in Metro cities.
2. Processing / Treatment should be :
(i) Technically sound
(ii) Financially viable
(iii) Eco-friendly / Environmental friendly
(iv) Easy to operate & maintain by local community
(v) Long term sustainability

13. RECOMMENDED APPROACHES TO WASTE PROCESSING
& DISPOSAL
I WEALTH FROM WASTE (PROCESSING OF ORGANIC WASTE)
(A) WASTE TO COMPOST
(i) AEROBIC / ANAEROBIC COMPOSTING
(ii) VERMI-COMPOSTING
(B) WASTE TO ENERGY
(i) REFUSE DERIVED FUEL (RDF) / PELLETIZATION
(ii) BIO-METHANATION
II RECYCLING OF WASTE
III SANITARY LANDFILLING
IV TREATMENT OF BIO-MEDICAL WASTE SEPARATELY

14. VARIOUS TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS RECOMMENDED
FOR WASTE PROCESSING
TOWNS GENERATING GARBAGE
UPTO 50 METRIC TONS / DAY(MT/DAY) = VERMI-COMPOSTING
BETWEEN 50 MT & 500 MT / DAY = VERMI-COMPOSTING +
MECHANICAL COMPOSTING
MORE THAN 500 MT / DAY = MECHANICAL COMPOSTING +
REFUSE DERIVED FUEL(RDF)
FROM REJECTS KEEPING IN
VIEW THE TYPE OF THE CITY
(INDUSTRIAL OR NON-
INDUSTRIAL)
OR
BIO-METHANATION

15. TENTH PLAN PROPOSALS
Requirement of funds as per 10th Plan document for
0.1 million plus towns as per 1991 Census are as
under:-
Capital Investment = Rs.23226.00 million
Equipment replacement = Rs. 1355.00 million
cost
________________
Rs.24581.00 million
________________
Based on January, 2000 prices

16. INITIATIVES BY GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
 Bio-medical Waste Handling Rules, 1998 -
Notified
 Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules,
2000 – Notified.
 Reforms Agenda (Fiscal, Institutional, Legal)
 Technical Manual on Municipal Solid Waste
Management
 Technology Advisory Group on Municipal
Solid Waste Management
 Inter-Ministerial Task Force on Integrated
Plant Nutrient Management from city
compost.

17.  Tax Free Bonds by ULBs permitted by
Government of India
 Income Tax relief to Waste Management agencies
 Public-Private Partnership in SWM
 Capacity Building
 Urban Reforms Incentive Fund
 Guidelines for PSP and setting up of Regulatory
Authority
 Introduction of Commercial Accounting System in
ULBs & other Sector Reforms
 Model Municipal Bye-Laws framed / circulated for
benefit of ULBs for adoption
 Financial Assistance by Government of India -
12th Finance Commission Grants

18. DEVOLUTION OF 12TH FINANCE COMMISSION GRANTS
FOR WASTE MANAGEMENT – RS.2500.00 CRORES
( RS. IN MILLION)
(I) COLLECTION AND TRANSPORTATION - 3864.4
EQUIPMENT & MACHINERY
(II) COMPOST PLANTS - 10012.3
(III) SANITARY LANDFILL DEVELOPMENT - 10568.8
-------------------
TOTAL 24445.5
------------------
DEVOLUTION TO ULBs BY 12TH FINANCE - Rs.19439.4 Million
COMMISSION
PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT - Rs.5006.2 Million
ENVISAGED THROUGH PPP IN
COMPOSTING / SANITARY LANDFILLING

19. NATIONAL URBAN RENEWAL MISSION
CENTRAL / STATE GRANTS ARE PROPOSED TO BE PROVIDED
FOR SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
Grant
Centre State Loan
Cities with 4 million plus 35% 15% 50%
population
Cities with one million plus 50% 20% 30%
population but less than 4
million
Other cities 80% 10% 10%

20. MAIN ISSUES
- ABSENCE OF SEGREGATION OF WASTE AT SOURCE
- LACK OF TECHNICAL EXPERTISE AND
APPROPRIATE INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT
- UNWILLINGNESS OF ULBs TO INTRODUCE PROPER
COLLECTION, SEGREGATION, TRANSPORTATION AND
TREATMENT / DISPOSAL SYSTEMS
- INDIFFERENT ATTITUDE OF CITIZENS TOWARDS WASTE
MANAGEMENT DUE TO LACK OF AWARENESS
- LACK OF COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION TOWARDS WASTE
MANAGEMENT AND HYGIENIC CONDITIONS
- LACK OF FUNDS WITH ULBs

21. RECOMMENDATIONS
- Outsourcing of all activities under Solid Waste
Management Services recommended by 12th
Finance Commission for using grants
- ULBs to concentrate on segregation of waste at
source
- Waste processing like composting, bio-
methanation should be done through public-private
partnerships / private sector
- Final disposal viz. sanitary landfilling to be done
under public private partnerships / private sector
- Bio-medical waste to be managed by Central Bio-
Medical Waste Management Facilities.